BOSTON (AP) — A referendum on a proposed casino at the Suffolk Downs racetrack will be limited to voters in the East Boston neighborhood.
The Boston City Council voted Wednesday against holding a citywide vote.
The council had the option under the state’s gambling law to allow all of the city’s voters to weigh in on the proposal. But backers of a neighborhood-only vote said East Boston residents would be the ones most affected if a casino were to be built.
Only three of the 13 councilors supported a citywide vote.
If the referendum is approved, Suffolk Downs could be in competition with proposals in Everett and Milford for the sole eastern Massachusetts resort casino license, which will be awarded by the state gaming commission.
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